No Longer Here
by StandardAngel717
Summary: Fang leaves Max and the Flock. How will Max cope? Will she always be broken? Why did he leave her when she needed him the most? Will they see each other again?.... R&R please!


**This idea just randomly popped into my head. Not exactly sure how far I'm going to take this... I don't know, we'll see where the story goes. R&R please**

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_His face was inches away from mine. If I wanted to, I could reach up and feel the smoothness that his olive-toned skin hinted at. His mouth was slightly parted as if he wanted to tell me something. His dark hair was still hanging in his eyes- those eyes that no one else could read but me. They were filled with so much emotion as he looked at me that it took my breath away. He leaned forward a little, his mouth opening more. I could feel his lips at my ear, his breath tickling the hair on my neck. His warm cheek was resting on mine. _

"_I don't want this anymore, Max." His voice sent shivers down my spine._

"_Don't want what?" I asked the question, but I already knew the answer. I've known the answer for a year now._

"_I don't want this life on the run, the pain of watching everyone get beaten as you try to save the world. I can't watch that happen to them, to you." Tears filled my eyes, and I felt them start to roll down my cheeks, leaving wet, salty trails behind. I closed my eyes, trying to protect myself from the pain I was feeling, from the coldness in his voice._

"_You're leaving." It came out as a hoarse whisper, barely loud enough to be heard._

"_Yes." He paused for a second, considering something. "I want you to come with me. I want the Flock to be safe. We don't have to fight this anymore, Max. Screw the world. They got themselves into this mess, they can get themselves out of it. They don't need you to try and save them. Come with me. We'll find an abandoned house or something and live where no one can find us." My eyes snapped open at this. I could barely make out his face through the tears. Does he honestly think I wouldn't come with him if I could? I wish I could go with him, so much it hurts._

"_I can't, Fang. I can't just leave Itex out there to destroy the world. They're always going to be looking for us. Always. I can't let them. We have to wipe them out before we can live in peace." _

"_No, Max, we really don't. I wish you would see it... I'm going to miss you." His hand caressed my cheek as he wiped away the tears. I leaned into the warmth. My body felt cold, almost numb. The warmth was the only thing I could feel right now. All of a sudden, the warmth left. It felt like my heart had been dunked into a bucket of ice water. I could barely breathe._

"_You don't have to leave, Fang. Please, stay. You promised this wouldn't happen again. Please, don't do this." I tried to look in his eyes when I said this, tried to show him how much this was going to hurt me, to hurt the Flock. How could we survive without Fang? I needed him to be there for me. He was my second-in-command, my best friend, my rock. He was everything._

"_I can't stay, Max." With that, he turned around and threw himself into the sky, flying hard. Flying away from me, from the Flock, from what I thought was his whole life. I guess I was wrong._

_I didn't go after him. I could have, if I wanted to, I guess. But I wasn't going to force him to stay if he didn't want to. So, I stood there watching him, until the pain became too much. I felt my body drop to the ground, felt my hands pull my knees to my chest, hugging myself into a ball. Felt it all, but my mind was trapped somewhere deep inside my own misery. I don't know how I'm going to live through this._

I woke up to find myself curled in a ball, hugging my legs to my chest. I was still numb, but that's nothing new. I'm always numb now. I always have the same nightmare too, a repeat of the day _he_ left me, a day I would never forget.

Iggy was lying next to me on the bed, still asleep. He was the only thing that kept me going now, reminded me of the kids, of my duty as leader to be strong. He was the one who had found me broken, after _he_ had left. He had tried to put me back together, but I'm not Humpty-Dumpty. Nobody would be able to put me back together, not anymore. I was beyond repairable. I had too many cracks, had been let down too many times. He was constantly with me, making sure I didn't try to do anything stupid now that Itex is gone and I'm done saving the world. But I wouldn't do that to the Flock. I wouldn't leave them broken too.

I held myself tighter, trying to make the pain go away. It's been over a year, and my heart is still broken, still ripped in shreds. Shouldn't the pain be gone by now? Shouldn't this be over? How could _he_ have done this to me? I thought he cared about me, but I guess I was wrong.

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**Thoughts? Should I continue or just leave it as a oneshot? Review please. It's sad, but I like it.**


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